Too rainy for an outdoor recess? Do the children need a break after a test or particularly challenging assignment? Then a classroom game is just what they need. There are lots of fun classroom games that you can play with your students that don't require a bunch of extra supplies or preparation time.

1.

Telephone

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Got a scrap piece of paper, a pencil and a room full of students? Then you have everything you need to play a fun game of telephone. This game is a great one to play if you are looking for a little peace and quiet in your classroom.

Have your students stand in a line. Write down a funny or educational phrase on a sheet of paper and set it aside. Now whisper the phrase into the first student's ear and have that student whisper it to the next student in line and so on. When the phrase is whispered to the last student in the line, that student repeats it back to you. You then reveal what the original phrase was, showing them the phrase written on the sheet of paper if they don't believe you. The warping of the original phrase is sure to get a good laugh from the students.

Silence

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If you really want to keep your students quiet, then challenge them to a game of silence. You tell all the students that they can't make a single sound, not even a whisper, as they arrange themselves in order according to different categories that you give them. You might have them arrange themselves in order of height or even in rainbow order according to the shirts they are wearing. See if they can pull it off without communicating verbally.

Four Corners

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This game is a classic that requires no preparation. Choose a student to be It, then have that student assign a number 1 through 4 to each corner of the classroom. Then the student closes his eyes while the rest of the students split up and choose a corner to stand in. Once all of the students have found a corner, you tell the It student to call out a number 1 through 4. The students who are standing in the corner that was called are out. The process is repeated until only one student is left standing. That student then becomes It.

Slap, Clap, Snap

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Have the class sit in a circle on the floor. Show them how to set the rhythm of the game by slapping their laps, then clapping their hands and then snapping their fingers. Then explain to them that they are going to fire at each other, and they must stay in rhythm when they are It. For example, if the person who starts is named Beth and she wants to pass it to Greg, then she would say Beth on the slap, nothing on the clap and then Greg on the snap. Then Greg would say his name on the slap, nothing on the clap and another student's first name on the snap. This keeps going until someone trips up, that person is then out. Play resumes with the last successful player, and you keep going until only two people are left. They are the winners.

Who Is Missing?

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Have all of the students sit at their desks. Choose a student to be It. That student will sit in a chair facing the wall at the front of the classroom with his eyes closed. Then silently point to one student who will hide either in the hall or behind a large piece of furniture. Then start counting to 10, at which time all of the students will get up and switch desks while the student you pointed at hides. Once everyone is sitting at a desk, the student at the front of the classroom will turn around and try to figure out which student is missing. If he guesses right, then he gets to stay as the guesser. If he guesses wrong, then the hider gets to be the guesser and the guesser gets to pick the next student to hide. After three correct guesses in a row, then the guesser chooses another student to guess and joins the rest of the class.